INDIE BEAUTY: Actress Song Hye-Kyo posing in front of a poster during the gala presentation of Make Yourself At Home Not All Gloom: Suicide casts shadow at Korean film festival but stars soon perk up It started gloomily but ended with great cheer, lifted by the reception for a trio of actors and the buzz surrounding some of the biggest stars in the industry. The 13th Pusan International Film Festival, held in South Korea, had opened last Thursday in the midst of bad news - the tragic suicide of South Korea's TV sweetheart Choi Jin Sil. Stars such as Lee Byung Hun and Kim Hye Soo even decided not to walk the red carpet, out of respect for their late friend. Byung Hun reportedly flew to Seoul immediately to attend Jin Sil's funeral, while Hye Soo was so upset over the news that she could not bring herself to dress up for the occasion. Dozens of reporters were called back to Seoul, and those who stayed behind noted that the opening ceremony was a subdued affair, with many stars, including A-lister Jang Dong Gun, looking woeful and donning muted colours. But as the days went by, joy and laughter returned to the star-studded nine-day event held annually in South Korea's southern seaport city Busan (formerly known as Pusan). After all, there was cause for celebration, given all the encouraging good news that emerged during the film festival, one of Asia's biggest and most popular. The emphasis this year was on small-budget indie projects that feature A-list names. Popular actress Song Hye Kyo, for one, commanded plenty of attention when she turned up to promote her first English-speaking film, the much-anticipated psycho-thriller Make Yourself At Home. Actors Kang Ho, Byung Hun, Woo Sung, and director Kim Jae Woon of the movie The Good, The Bad, The Weird. She plays a witch who chooses to live an ordinary life in the US. Although the film is widely hailed as her Hollywood debut, the star of hit drama Full House insisted during a media conference that it is more of a Korean indie movie filmed in America. Still, it was a good start to going international for Hye Kyo, whose next project is the war love story, 1949, helmed by director John Woo. The 27-year-old actress said: 'I believe that I can work hard to make it in Hollywood, by steadily making movies.' Speaking in English on the set of Make Yourself At Home was 'really difficult' for her, but she got help from her American crew who 'all turned into English teachers and corrected my pronunciation'. Actress Chae Young unveils Korea-New Zealand project Soul Mates in Busan Also set to go international is Korean actress Han Chae Young, who unveiled her new Korea-New Zealand project, Soul Mates, in Busan. The horror flick about eternal love and ghosts will be directed by New Zealand director Scott Reynolds. And special effects supervisor Richard Taylor (The Lord of the Rings) and his company Weta Workshop will handle the movie's visual effects. Speaking in English will be a breeze for 28-year-old Chae Young - nicknamed 'Barbie Doll' for her good looks and voluptuous figure - as she grew up in the US before she was talent-spotted during a vacation in South Korea. Her management company said she took up the role as it could be a 'stepping stone' to making inroads into Hollywood. As for actress Park Eun Hye, she was overjoyed to earn recognition in Busan for her first film in 10 years. Click to see larger image She was named Best New Actress for arthouse director Hong Sang Soo's Night And Day, in which she plays an art student in Paris who befriends three other Koreans there. It was heartening news for Eun Hye, 30, who was making her first public appearance since suffering a miscarriage last month. Bursting into tears on stage, the actress - who played a kitchen helper-turned-concubine in popular TV series Jewel In The Palace - said: 'Some people may ask why I'm getting a newcomer award when I've been acting for 10 years, but I feel that I've been reborn through this movie... 'There was a lot of unhappiness in the process, but I was able to muster up courage because of everyone's support.' Also drawing praise in Busan were Korean actors whose unusual characters in their new projects won over film critics. Gong Hyo Jin, for instance, was lauded for turning herself into an oddball teacher in her new film Crush And Blush. She told Yonhap News Agency: 'I used to feel troubled when I had to play such alternative roles. 'But now, as long as the movie is emotionally charged, I don't mind paying a murderer or a fool.' Co-stars Hyun Bin and Lee Bo Young, who team up in the festival's closing film I Am Happy, also won over critics with their acting skills. He plays a depressed psychiatric patient who meets a forlorn nurse (Bo Young) in hospital. Hyun Bin, 26, said he visited real-life mental patients to observe how they behave, in order to prepare for his role. 'It's tough to play a psychiatric patient... But I love this project too much and I poured my soul into it. It was tiring, but I also felt blissful.' But the biggest fan reception yet went to the three A-list cast members of the cowboy action flick The Good, The Bad, The Weird. More than 3,000 fans turned up to see hunks Byung Hun (who plays the bad guy) and Jung Woo Sung (the good guy), as well as veteran actor Song Kang Ho (the weird guy). The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, drew more than 3.7 million admissions in South Korea. Funnyman Kang Ho said: 'Byung Hun and Woo Sung are really too suave, I can't compare to them no matter how hard I try...' To the guffaws that erupted, he added: 'So I can only try to bring the audience more joy.' Hopefully, more laughter will help to lift the spirit of those mourning the demise of Jin Sil. Source: New Paper
